St Peter's News

From our Principal 

Dear Parents, Students and Friends,

I trust that our mums and those who taking on a mothering role were well looked after last Sunday.  My own mum passed away 18 months ago and her loss is still keenly felt and if I was perfectlyhonest there are very few days where I don’t think of her. Our mothers are usually our greatest support, our rock if you like.  In most cases they are the single most influential person in our lives. I take this opportunity to thank all our mums for all that they do in shaping our students. There is no better gift than the love of a mother. Below is a prayer we offer up to signify our love for mothers.

A Prayer for Mothers

Lord Jesus Christ, you chose to put yourself—tiny, needy and helpless—into the nurturing and watchful hands of a human mother. Since then, every act of mothering, both physical and spiritual, in every time and every corner of the world recollects Mary’s. Inspired by this example, we, too, honour our mothers and mother figures today. Bless these women, that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers and nurturers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, honour them always with a spirit of profound respect.  We ask this in your holy name. Amen.

 

Educating our young in an everchanging world

Last week I spoke of the everchanging world and it’s impact on the future of education, in one of the quotes it was stated: “The world is changing, which means that the way we study and learn in order to thrive in the world has to change, too”. Our moral imperative and the purpose of education is to provide the knowledge and the tools to succeed in tomorrow’s world. The challenge in this space is that we do not know what tomorrow’s world is going to look like. To take this single thread and expand on it could fill countless thesis. Suffice to say if we don’t know what tomorrow’s world looks like how do we know how to prepare our students? Add to this the latest launch of Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and this only leads to greater levels of uncertainty. So, with this contextual piece, is this cause for doom and gloom? I think not. Where there is the threat caused by uncertainty there is also, in equal measure, opportunity.  So back to the burning question, how do we prepare our students for tomorrow’s world?  It comes down to less about knowledge and more about the process of learning. The knowledge of today may be superseded by new found knowledge discovered tomorrow, so the core ingredient to preparing our student for tomorrow’s world comes down to not what they learn but how they learn. This is commonly referred to as educating the 21st century learner. 21st century learning is the development of a highly valuable skill set for the future.  In education speak these are known in the Australian Curriculum as general capabilities and incorporate:

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Personal and social capability
  • Ethical understanding
  • Intercultural understanding

Another approach to categorising these skills is:

Ways of thinking

  1. Creativity and innovation
  2. Critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making
  3. Learning to learn, metacognition

Ways of working

  1.  Communication
  2.  Collaboration

Tools for working

  1. Information literacy
  2. ICT literacy

 

Living in the world

  1. Citizenship — local and global
  2. Life and career
  3. Personal and social responsibility — including cultural awareness and competence

It is incumbent on us to prepare our students in the ways of thinking, the ways of working and the necessary tools for working and living in the world.

 

Catholic Education Week

The theme of Catholic education which commences today is Places of Encounter: Let the words you speak always be full of Grace Col 4:6. Catholic schools are more than just buildings where students come to learn. They are Places of Encounter where students can grow academically, spiritually and personally. The ‘Speaking with Grace’ theme invites us to consider the power of our words and the impact our words may have on others. Words have the power to inspire, uplift, and transform lives but they can also be hurtful or discouraging. This year’s theme aims to encourage students and those in our school community to use their words to build up others, to speak out against injustice, and to spread love and hope in the world. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for all Catholic schools to celebrate our distinctive mission and share features that are special about our schools.

Each year Catholic Education Week also provides us with the opportunity to recognise the significant contributions of staff within our College.  I take this opportunity to thank all staff for their ongoing commitment to our students. This year a Leadership Mass and Dinner to celebrate and recognise outstanding service and excellence of staff and students in Catholic education in our Diocese is to be held in Traralgon on Friday, 19 May. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the following St Peter’s College staff for outstanding service to Catholic Education:

  • Ms Carolyn Ellul – 25 or more years of Service
  • Mr Barry Fisher – 25 or more years of Service
  • Ms Kathleen McCormick – 25 or more years of Service
  • Miss Fiona McKenna – Spirit of Catholic Education Award recipient – Inspiring Faith 

 

High Achieving Students

St Peter’s College is much to be proud of as the talents of our students have been showcased in the past few weeks. Congratulations are extended to the following groups and individuals:

  • SIS Swimming – Runners-up with U15 and U16 boys winning pennants
  • Yr 7 student, Yuhansa Amarasekara's represent the SIS team at the Victorian Schools Association Competition where she competed in the the U/13 50m individual backstroke, the U/13 4x 50m medley relay (backstroke), and the U/13 4x 50m freestyle relay.
  • SIS public speaking (CRA campus) - Runners up at SIS public speaking with Vasu Kaushal(Y11) achieving top speaker of the senior division in both the impromptu and preapared categories
  • State Volleyball Championships - Year 12, 11 and 10 Boys all came 3rd in their pools and 4thin Division 2 for their respective age groups, the Junior boys finished 3rd in their pool and 5th overall. Special mention to the Year 9 boys achieving third place and receiving a Bronze medal.

 

 

 

Enjoy the week ahead.

 

 

 

 

Mr Chris Black

Principal